Free AI assistants: which ones to try without paying

You want to try an AI, but you don’t want to pay or get lost in the offers. This guide compares six assistants on the same criteria, so you can test one or two at your own pace. It does not give a ranking: the right choice depends on what you are looking for.

Understand what free means

Each AI presented here has a free plan, with usage limits that vary. Paid plans also exist: their prices are listed on the official sites, not here. Free offers change, so always check on the publisher’s site.

Compare the six AIs on the same criteria

Table with no ranking, rows in alphabetical order.

AI	Account needed to try	Free plan	Minimum age	Official site
ChatGPT	None for a trial: you can use it before creating an account, but conversations are not saved	Yes, with usage limits	13 years old; between 13 and 18, a parent’s consent is required	https://chatgpt.com
Claude	An account is required; new users are asked to verify with a phone number	Yes, with usage limits	18 years old	https://claude.ai
Copilot	Optional sign-in on the web (Microsoft account, Apple ID or Google account); it gives access to your conversation history	Yes (free, according to Microsoft)	13 years old according to Microsoft, sometimes older depending on the country	https://copilot.com
Gemini	Some features without signing in; a Google account for the others and to save your activity	Yes (free plan and paid plans)	13 years old, or the age allowed in your country for a personal account; 18 years old for a business account	https://gemini.google.com
Mistral (Vibe, formerly Le Chat)	Check the official site	Yes, “Free” plan: quick answers, web search and simple tasks, with a limited number of messages and web searches	13 years old; between 13 and 18, a parent’s or guardian’s consent is required	https://chat.mistral.ai
Perplexity	None for a trial with limits; sign-in required for Pro search, file uploads and to find your past sessions	Yes, usage caps that vary	13 years old; between 13 and the age of majority, a parent or guardian must accept the terms	https://www.perplexity.ai

Copilot has two official addresses: copilot.com and copilot.cloud.microsoft. The address copilot.microsoft.com redirects to copilot.com. Warning: Copilot in Word, Excel or Outlook is a different offer, which requires an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription. See Copilot in Word.

To find your way, you can also use the free questionnaire.

Try without creating an account

Four AIs allow a trial without signing up: ChatGPT, Copilot on the web, Perplexity, and Gemini partly. The trade-off: no history of your conversations, and limited features. For details, follow the web guides: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and Perplexity.

If you decide to create an account, see create an account and sign in.

Look for a French AI

Mistral AI is a French company. Its assistant, Vibe (formerly Le Chat), works in French. See Mistral on the web. Choosing a French company is a personal criterion like any other: it says nothing about the quality of the answers.

Be wary of sites that promise everything free, without sign-up

A fake site can copy the look of a well-known AI. A few simple habits:

• Read the address in the browser bar: it must match the intended site exactly. A single character can change.
• Type the official address yourself, or use a bookmark you created yourself.
• Do not click a link received by message that asks for a password. The sender’s address may be faked.
• On a phone, use the official app store and check the publisher’s name.
• Never give a bank card number, or another service’s password, to “unlock” a free AI.

A site that promises unlimited access to a well-known AI, with no limits and no account, is very likely not the official publisher. Stick to the addresses in the table’s column.

Source: economie.gouv.fr.

Try two free AIs on the same request

Choose two AIs from the table and ask them exactly the same request. Then compare the clarity, the tone and the accuracy of the answers. Here are some ideas.

Example request Explain how [a topic you want to understand] works in five simple sentences, as if I were ten years old.

Example request Suggest a menu for [number] people, with [constraint, for example gluten-free], and the matching shopping list.

Example request Rewrite this message to make it polite and short: [your text, without name or personal data].

To write more precise requests, read writing a good prompt. A prompt is simply the instruction you give to the AI.

The CNIL recommends avoiding, as much as possible, entering personal data into a generative AI. Source: cnil.fr.

To understand what paid plans add, see free or paid AI. To avoid fake sites, see how to recognize an AI’s official site.

Good habits

• Check the site’s address before entering anything.
• Check the limits and age conditions on the official site: they change.
• Do not enter a password, a card number or unnecessary personal data.
• Test two AIs on the same request before choosing.
• Always reread the answers: an AI can make mistakes, especially on facts.
• To compare in more detail, see which AI to choose when you are starting out.